|
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group, COPYRIGHT 2005 Thomson Gale, a part of The Thomson Corporation
Blue Whale
Balaenoptera musculus
Description
The blue whale is the largest mammal that has ever inhabited the earth. It attains a mature length of 70-85 ft (21-26 m) and has been recorded as long as 106 ft (32 m). The weight can range from 90-150 tons (81-136 metric tons). It has a U-shaped snout and 80-100 throat furrows. The dorsal fin is small and set far back on its streamlined body. Like other baleen whales, it has no teeth and strains its food through a series of plates set within the palate, called the baleen. Its throat...
Read the full article for free courtesy of your local library.
| 
Bookmark this article
Print this article
Link to this article
Email this article
Digg It!
Add to del.icio.us
RSS
